Dangerous Faith
by ananova
Summary: Post-canon. While on an extermination job Inuyasha and Miroku run into a danger that will threaten their families, homes, and way of life. I/K and M/S.
1. Disregarding the Signs

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author note: This first chapter was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on April 23, 2012 for drabble #24 Danger and won 3rd place. I apologize in advance if the priest is out of character, it has been awhile since I saw that episode.

Author note June 2012: Okay, I've had several reviews and messages asking me to expand this story. While the chapters were each originally written for challenges and thus had word limits, I concede that since the challenge is over there is no reason not to expand them. I hope this makes the story more enjoyable. This chapter in its original form came in at 500 words exactly. It has been expanded, especially the beginning.

* * *

"So what kind of youkai was it again?" Inuyasha asked his companion as they headed down the road.

"I'm not entirely certain," Miroku replied. "The villagers were scared and would only say that it was doing unspeakably horrible things to any men it caught."

The hanyou frowned, a thought niggling at his mind. "Only the men?"

"That is what they said."

Inuyasha thought for a moment then opened his mouth to voice a thought. It remained forever unspoken as they rounded a bend in the road and found a woman kneeling there, crying. He immediately began scanning the area for danger as Miroku approached the woman.

"What seems to be the matter Miss? I'm sure my companion and I can be of assistance."

"Oh!" she gasped, raising a tear-streaked face to the houshi. "It's my husband! A youkai came out of nowhere and grabbed him. Please, you must help him!" she pleaded.

Miroku patted her on the arm. "Fear not, my friend and I were told of a youkai that has been attacking men. We will take care of it and see if we can do anything for your husband."

"Oh, thank you houshi-sama!" The woman turned her head, obviously to thank Inuyasha as well. But her mouth shut as a hateful look entered her eyes as she spotted him and she clutched at Miroku's arm.

Inuyasha snorted, he was well-used to that reaction. His eyes widened as that action caused her scent to reach him and he began to move. "Miroku! Watch out!"

Miroku turned his head to look at the hanyou from where he had been attempting to calm and dislodge the woman. "What are you talking-" He never finished his sentence as he slumped over.

The 'woman' stood over him, a sneer on her face as she regarded Inuyasha. "Filthy hanyou! I'll destroy you then enjoy the meal your friend will make." She licked her lips, her features becoming noticeably demonic as her teeth lengthened into fangs and her eyes burned red. "That one little touch was enough to get a taste of his aura. He will make a delicious meal."

"Feh! That's what you think. Don't underestimate me, I'm no pushover!" He cracked his knuckles and charged at her.

"Fool!" She sneered, dodging the blow before grabbing his arm.

Inuyasha hissed as he felt some of his energy drain out of him and immediately pulled his arm away. His earlier, niggling thought came back to him. She was some type of succubus, draining men of their life force. He glared at her. So he couldn't touch her, fine. His hands and claws weren't the only weapons available to him.

"Hmm, you don't taste too bad for a hanyou," she mused. "Maybe I'll eat you first and save your friend for dessert."

"Not likely," Inuyasha growled as he unsheathed Tessaiga.

She sneered. "What are you going to do with that old thing? It's so rusted it wouldn't even slice paper. And I doubt you even know how to use it."

He snarled at her and transformed the sword, watching with satisfaction as her expression changed to fear. "Now die!" he yelled as he raced at her, swinging his sword. She attempted to dodge but he was too fast and the blow landed, slicing her cleanly in half.

Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga as the youkai turned to dust. He regarded his unconscious companion with a snort and shake of the head. "What is it with you Bouzu? Female youkai are drawn to you like moths to a flame. You're married how many years and still falling for their tricks." He bent over and scooped the fallen man onto his shoulder after ascertaining that he was fine other than the bump on his head where he had hit it when he fell. "You're lucky Sango wasn't around to witness that or she'd have your balls."

He sighed and considered his options as he looked down the road. There was a village not too far up the road. It was getting late, there was no way they'd make it home before night fall and despite the injury being minor, he didn't think it was a good idea for Miroku to sleep outside tonight. He glanced at the cloud-covered sky and took a sniff of the air. Nope, not a good idea with the threat of rain. He turned and started to make his way to the village.

Upon entering the village he made his way to the headman's hut, ignoring the whispered comments as he did. It wasn't like he hadn't heard it all before. Besides, they had been to this village before to perform exorcisms, he was sure they would give him a room for the night. He had no way of knowing of the danger he placed himself in by ignoring those whispers. He was so used to the comments on his appearance that he blocked them out.

"Look at him, coming here so brazenly with the houshi slung over his shoulder."

"I thought the houshi had him under his spell?"

"He must have broken it and attacked the houshi."

"Why would he come here?"

"Probably wants to gloat over how he's free before he attacks us all. We must attack him first."

"But how? You've seen what he can do. Besides, look at what he did to the houshi!"

"Ungai-sama will help us. Jiro go find him and explain. Beg for his help."

The men exchanged glances as the one called Jiro hurried away to where the visiting priest and his followers had set up camp. They decided it would be wise to keep a close eye on the hanyou until Ungai-sama arrived, and so separated, posting themselves at strategic watch points.

Jiro had quickly reached Ungai-sama's camp and explained the situation.

The old priest merely shook his head. "And this is why you cannot trust youkai. They may appear to be helping but they are merely luring you into a false sense of security before they attack. Do not worry, we will take care of this one for you. He must be destroyed as the Kami have commanded all youkai must be." Fire burned in his eyes as he spoke and gathered his followers.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had finished his meeting with the nervous headman, still unaware of any danger. The first that Inuyasha was aware of the danger it was too late. As he turned to make his way to the room the headman had promised him he heard footsteps behind him. As he turned back to face them he felt the flare of reiki and then the pain hit him. He groaned once as the pain wracked his body and he fell to the ground, his vision fading into darkness.

"Foul creature, I recognize you. I should have dealt with you the first time I laid eyes upon you." Ungai turned to regard the man the youkai had dropped when his sutra did their job. "I warned you that you would regret consorting with youkai, that they would turn on you someday," he stated contemptuously before motioning for one of his followers. "Bring him. Perhaps when he awakens he will finally have learned the errors of his ways. For now we will make ready our preparations to deal with this monstrosity once and for all."


	2. Purification

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author note: This was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on April 23, 2012 for oneshot #12 Freedom. It won 2nd place. Like the previous chapter, it has also since been expanded. And I'd like to give a big thank you to AM78 for all of the help provided in bringing this chapter and the previous one to where they are now.

* * *

Inuyasha came awake with a groan, wondering what had hit him. His eyes shot open upon realizing that he could not move his body and he frantically looked around. His eyes widened at the sight of the bonfire burning directly in front of him. He had seen plenty of those in his life, the kind that were used to burn the remains of youkai. His eyes shifted to the side and he spotted the priest standing in the center of a crowd of men, issuing instructions. He frowned, something about that priest was familiar. He quickly brushed the thought away, he had to get free of whatever was keeping him bound. It was obvious that the villagers had turned on him and Miroku for some reason, he had to get free and find his friend before they ended up in that bonfire!

Unfortunately for him, the priest turned at that moment and spotted that he was awake. He sent the last of the men to their tasks before approaching. "Awake already youkai? You are a strong one. But you are not match for my sutra. Struggle all you like, you won't break free."

Inuyasha glared at him, wishing he could speak and curse the bastard out.

"You wish to tear my throat out, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. But you will never harm another again, I will see to that. Hopefully that misguided monk has now learned his lesson." Ungai swept his arm to the side.

Inuyasha flicked his eyes in that direction. They widened upon seeing the unconscious Miroku leaning against a hut.

Ungai shook his head. "I warned him and his companions long ago not to consort with youkai, that they would turn on him. He had to learn his lesson the hard way. Now I must finish the preparations. Do not worry, it will all be over shortly."

'Bastard!' Inuyasha thought furiously, glaring at the departing priest. He recognized him now. But it was his words about Miroku that really caused him to worry. 'They think I hurt Miroku? Shit, I gotta get free. We gotta get out of here before it's too late.' Unfortunately the priest's words proved all to accurate. The sutra that were restraining him were too powerful, he couldn't move anything other than his eyes.

His eyes flicked back toward Miroku when he heard a groan from that direction. 'Come on bouzu, wake up already! You gotta get us outta of here. Talk some sense into these assholes!' But he was not the only one to notice the awakening monk.

Miroku slowly pushed himself upright, one hand holding his aching head. "Oh, what hit me?"

"I warned you about consorting with youkai. They are beasts that can not be trusted. Have you finally learned this lesson?"

Miroku looked up, frowning as he recognized the priest before him. "I must respectfully disagree with you. Not all youkai are bad. I-" He cut himself off eyes widening as he saw his friend bound with sutra a short distance away. "Inuyasha!" Despite the agony in his head he forced himself to his feet. But before he could stumble more than a few feet his arms were grasped by strong hands, tugging him back. "What are you doing? Let me go! Why is my friend restrained?"

Ungai shook his head sadly. "What spell does it have you under that you would still seek to help it even after it has harmed you?" He turned to the men restraining Miroku. "Restrain him. Hopefully the youkai's spell will be released and his freedom returned once the creature is purified."

Miroku's eyes widened again. "No! You can't!" He struggled but could not free himself. "He didn't hurt me! He hasn't hurt anyone! You're making a big mistake!" Despite his struggles to get free he soon found himself bound with rope and seated on the ground. He would have a front row seat of what was about to occur. He looked helplessly into Inuyasha's eyes. 'Forgive me my friend, I have failed you.' As he watched the priest approach friend he helplessly flexed his arms, wishing there was something more he could do. Upon feeling a familiar weight against his forearm he suppressed a grin, realizing that all was not lost. 'Hold on Inuyasha.' He began flexing his wrist in a specific way, trying not to call attention to his actions as a small blade popped out of his sleeve. 'Thank you Sango,' he thought, glad his wife had insisted on teaching him some of the Taijiya tricks and equipped him accordingly. He set to work on the rope binding him, praying to Buddha that Inuyasha could hold on long enough.

'Fuck! Now what are we going to do?' Inuyasha had been sure that his smooth talking friend would be able to clear things up. Now it looked like they were both in deep trouble. He briefly closed his eyes as he saw Ungai approaching. 'Kagome, I'm sorry.' Images of his wife and children flashed before his closed eyes before he opened them to glare defiantly at the priest.

Ungai merely looked contemptuously down at him. "I hope you have made you peace with whatever Kami you believe in." With that he held his hands out in front of him and began to chant.

Despite the sutra restraining him, howls of pain began to escape Inuyasha's throat as the reiki surged over him. Little bolts of reiki shot into him, causing him untold agony as it surrounded him, growing stronger the longer the priest continued to chant. Then the pain vanished.

Miroku winced at the howls of agony coming from his friend as he worked to free himself. But just as the rope gave way the howls ended and the entire village became silent. "No!" he cried, fearing the worst as his eyes frantically sought the slumped form of his friend. All eyes fixated on Inuyasha.

Slowly, Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet, glaring at the priest gaping at him in disbelief. The pain had vanished as had the restraining effects of the sutra and he once again had the freedom to move. One hand rose and snatched the now harmless piece of paper off of his chest, crumpling it and throwing it at the disbelieving priest. He carelessly flicked the now black hair out of his eyes as they remained locked on Ungai, and cracked his knuckles loudly. "Care to try that again?" he growled out. He hated turning human but at least this transformation, unexpected as it was, had freed him. He had never been more glad than he was at that moment to be a hanyou. Had he been full youkai the reiki would have purified him into dust. Thanks to his human blood he had merely turned human, just like that time on Mount Hakurei all those years ago. He shook his head slightly to clear it. 'I forgot all about that, good thing this guy's powers worked the same way as the barrier did.'

"B-but how?" Ungai stuttered in disbelief at the sight before him. That ritual should have destroyed him! Not given him a human appearance! And how did he get free of the sacred sutra?

As the villagers continued to gape at the now human Inuyasha, Miroku slowly made his way to his friend's side. "I'm glad to see you are mostly alright my friend." He kept a wary eye on the men surrounding them. "But I think it is time for us to leave."

Ungai snapped out of his shock. "No! You both must die! I don't know what evil this is but I will not allow you to mock the Kami in this way." He held his staff ready as he motioned for his followers to join him.

"Keh! I've had enough of you." With that Inuyasha threw a hard punch, knocking the old priest to the ground, unconscious. He smirked, he might not have his hanyou strength at the moment but he was still stronger than most humans. He glared at the rest of the men. "Who's next?"

As the men looked nervously between the two men and their fallen leader, the rain that had been threatening earlier suddenly arrived, coming down in a sudden downpour. Inuyasha and Miroku attempted to use the confusion it created to slip away into the nearby forest. A handful of the nearby men managed to keep their wits about them and thus the two ended up fighting after all.

Inuyasha ducked and swung a fist into one man's gut. "Good thing you managed to free yourself bouzu," he panted, dodging as another man tried to tackle him. "Don't know if I'd of been able to get to you quickly in this." He also wasn't sure if he could have handled all ten of the men by himself, not while he was human anyway.

"Well, I'm glad that I wasn't completely useless," Miroku replied, ducking himself. He frowned at his friend, something was missing. His eyes widened. Where was Tessaiga? Quickly looking around the area as he continued to dodge his assailants he spotted something on the ground near the pyre and smiled. Dodging a tackle, he turned his evasion into a somersault and snatched up the weapons he had spotted. "Inuyasha!" he called and tossed his friend the sheathed Tessaiga while his other hand held his own Shakujou at the ready.

Inuyasha grinned as he settled his sword into in obi. How had he not realized that the villagers had removed it? 'Shit, would have been even harder to fight our way back in here to reclaim it later,' he thought, unable to understand how he could have forgotten about it in the first place. "Thanks Bouzu," he called as he continued to fight his way closer to the trees without harming the men too badly. He didn't want to have to kill them unless absolutely necessary. He grabbed the last two men standing in his way and knocked their heads together with a satisfying thunk!

"You are quite welcome," Miroku replied as he swung his reclaimed staff at one man's feet, knocking him to the ground, before switching his grip and hitting another over the head. Seeing that the way was now clear, the two friends quickly made good their escape into the forest, the rain quickly washing away their tracks and impeding any who attempted to follow. Well used to traveling in such weather, the two kept going until they were far enough away from the village to be sure that they were not pursued.

As they stopped to rest and take shelter under a large tree, Miroku happily noted that Inuyasha's hair was already lightening to it's normal silver. "Well, I'm glad to see that you will have no permanent effects from our experience."

"Keh." But he was glad to feel his strength and senses returning. "I'll be glad to get home."

"I can certainly sympathize. I too, am eager to see my family after that experience." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't much help."

"Feh, don't think I didn't notice that you managed to free yourself. I know if I hadn't transformed when I did you would have managed to free me as well. I just didn't need it at that point. Besides you more than made up for it during our escape. " He shook his head incredulously. "I still can't believe I almost forgot Tessaiga." Inuyasha sighed. "You know we're gonna have to be more careful from now on in other villages. And we're gonna have to warn Kagome and Sango. Doubt that bastard's gonna give up just cause we got away this time."

"I know my friend. But we have friends who know us and will help us out."

Inuyasha snorted. "And you saw how those villagers turned on us."

Miroku frowned. "Yes, but they didn't really know us other than the few exorcisms we have done there. The people of our village know us and know the good we do. They will stand by us."

"Keh. If you say so bouzu. Now let's get going. I want to get home soon. Er, do me a favor and don't tell Kagome I forgot about Tessaiga?" He gave his friend a sheepish look.

"Only if you promise not to tell Sango about me falling for that youkai's tricks."

"Deal."

With that the two began to make their way home, their recent experience weighing heavily on their minds. Still, they were glad to be alive and free to return to their families. They would worry about Ungai another day. For now they just wanted to return to their homes and families.


	3. Unsettling Discussions

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This chapter was originally posted to IB4Y on May 7, 2012 for W-Prompt #18 Complicated and won 1st place. It was also originally only 245 words but, like the previous chapters, has since been expanded for this story.

Speaking of which, if you read the previous chapters when they were first posted, please go back and re-read them. I have expanded them after several reviews and messages requesting more detail. As I said to those reviewers, these were originally challenge responses and thus had a word limit. But that doesn't mean I can't expand them now that the voting is over. If you are curious to read the original pieces I do include the livejournal community and date each was posted at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

It was a tense duo who approached their home village a day after their adventure. They had wasted no time in hurrying home and thus were tired, wet and hungry after traveling all night through the sporadic rain. Inuyasha and Miroku released sighs of relief as the village came into view. They sped up their pace.

Inuyasha spotted them first. Sango and Kagome sat talking beneath a tree outside of Inuyasha's hut, little Izayoi in her mother's arms as Jomei played with Miroku's three children. Happy and relieved at the sight before him, he sped up to where his wife was sitting, dropping to his knees and pulling her and their daughter into his arms. He was absently aware of Miroku repeating his actions with Sango.

Kagome returned her husband's hug before spotting the look on his face and worriedly asking "What's wrong?"

Inuyasha's arms tightened around her before he replied. "Long story, I'll tell you at Kaede-baba's."

"Papa!" Jomei squealed, abandoning his game and racing toward the adults. He flung himself at his parents, wrapping his little arms as far as they would go around his father. Inuyasha merely sighed, one arm releasing Kagome to wrap around his son in return.

A now extremely worried Kagome shared a glance with Sango as she saw Miroku's three children tackle him to the ground. Rather than admonishing them as he would normally do, the houshi simply gathered them into his arms and held them. "Inuyasha?"

"Not in front of the kids," he replied firmly.

Kagome bit her lip, then nodded. Rising, she managed to extricate her son from his father. "Come Jomei, let's get you and Izayoi to Rin. Your Papa and I have something we need to take care of." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sango also gathering her brood together.

"But Mama-" Jomei started to whine.

"I know you're excited to see him, just as he is you. But the sooner the adults are able to take care of this, the sooner he'll be able to play with you and tell you all about his trip. Okay?" Well, no, he definitely wouldn't be telling their son all about his trip, not with the way he was acting but she needed to placate her son somehow.

"Okay."

Arrangements for the children to be watched were made and four adults shortly found themselves in Kaede's hut with the old miko. Sango and Kagome exchanged worried glances at the grim looks their husbands sported. Once all were seated by the fire Miroku and Inuyasha began to explain what had happened to them, Kagome clutching her husband's arm tightly as she learned how she nearly lost him.

Once their tale was done they sat in silence, contemplating what they had learned. Kaede stared into the fire before sighing. "You know this will make things more complicated?"

Miroku nodded grimly. "We'll have to be more careful when we travel. The story will spread and other villages won't be as welcoming as they once were."

Inuyasha snorted as he pulled Kagome closer, a frown on his face. Kagome noticed and realized what he was thinking. She placed her hand on his arm. "Don't worry, the people here know and accept us. They won't turn on us."

The others added their agreements. "Yes, Hitoshi is a wise man," Kaede said, referring to the headman. "I will explain the situation to him. I have no doubt that he will support you in this, especially after all you have done for our village."

Inuyasha felt some of the tension leave him at her words and the obvious support the others were showing. "Come on, let's get the kids and go home," he told Kagome, eager to spend some quiet time alone with his family. Everything else could wait until later.


	4. The Greatest Treasure

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on May 7, 2012 for Drabble #26 Treasure and won 2nd place. It originally came to 322 words but, while still short, has also been expanded. To read the original version simply go to Inuyasha Fanfiction on Livejournal and search for the entry.

* * *

Upon leaving Kaede's hut Inuyasha and Kagome stopped to retrieve Jomei and Izayoi from Rin and the other village women who volunteered to watch children when their parents were needed elsewhere. The service was usually for those who worked in the fields but almost every family needed it as well at least once or twice. Kagome and Inuyasha were one such case, as just because Inuyasha was away on an exterminating trip didn't mean that Kagome didn't need to perform her miko duties, and it wasn't fair to always ask Sango to watch their children in addition to her own brood. In fact, she had been known to leave her children there as well from time to time.

Despite recent experiences weighing heavily on his mind, Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as his children rushed to him excitedly.

"Papa! Papa!" Jomei yelled excitedly as he hopped up and down, tugging at Inuyasha's hakama. Little Izayoi shocked the adult hanyou by toddling up on wobbly legs right behind her older brother, a wide grin on her face. With a huge and proud grin, Inuyasha knelt and gathered the two children into his arms, holding them tight to his chest.

Kagome watched, a small smile playing across her own lips at the scene, from where she had been thanking Rin and the other women. She shook her head in amazement as Rin brushed off her thanks before heading to one of the other children. 'That girl will make a wonderful mother someday,' she mused. Rin just loved volunteering to watch the children, she had such a way with them, perhaps because she wasn't that much older herself. Kagome finished thanking the other women, then moved to join the rest of her family.

Inuyasha was just standing up, a child in each arm, when he felt Kagome come up behind him and rest her hand on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to offer a small smile, then, with his children still in his arms and his wife beside him, he headed home. They spent the rest of the day simply basking in their family as Jomei rambled on and on about what he'd been up to, and badgered his father with questions about his trip.

Later, after the children were asleep in their beds, he found himself standing there, just gazing at them. They were his reason for living, the reason he was still alive. His greatest treasure. The thought of them and Kagome waiting for him was why he fought so hard to get free. He had to return to them.

Kagome came up beside him and rested her head on his arm. "They look so peaceful when they sleep, not a care in the world."

Inuyasha stiffened slightly as he thought about how that peace wouldn't last. Danger would be coming, and soon. He had seen others like Ungai before, he wouldn't rest until he found him again. His children would be threatened. He couldn't allow that, he had to protect them.

Kagome sensed where his thoughts had gone and rubbed his arm before wrapping her arms around his waist. "They'll be fine, everything will be alright. You'll protect us and the villagers will stand with us. You'll see."

Inuyasha sighed, pushing his thoughts and worries away for the moment and placed a kiss on her head. "Come on," he said as he led her to their futon. "Let's go to bed." He had other plans than sleep in mind however, and spent a good portion of the night reaffirming his love and presence to his wife, while reassuring himself that she was still with him as well. His last thought before falling into an exhausted sleep, _'I'm so glad to be home. I'll treasure this time with my family, always.'_


	5. Preparing For Battle

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on May 7, 2012 for Drabble #25 Armed and won 1st place. It originally came in at 370 words but, while still short, has been expanded.

* * *

It was nearly a week after Inuyasha and Miroku's return when the alarm was raised in their village. The sentries had spotted a large group of men heading in their direction, armed with various weapons and appeared to be led by a priest.

The villagers began making there preparations, the able-bodied men gathering with there weapons at the edge of the village while the women began to lead those unable to fight off into several of the larger reinforced buildings.

Inuyasha exchanged a grim look with Miroku before moving toward where the village men were gathering. He received nods of acknowledgment and greeting from most of the men. None seemed to blame him for the fact that their peaceful lives were about to be disturbed or that violence threatened their homes. He returned their nods, then leaped up onto one of the nearby roofs, his keen eyes taking in the large group of armed men heading this way. He could clearly see Ungai leading them. It seemed that Ungai had discovered which village they came from and brought all of his followers with him.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to see Kagome handing the children off to Rin and some of the women who were already ushering other children away. "Kagome," he started as he leaped down from his vantage point.

"Don't," she told him, eyes flashing as she adjusted her quiver on her back and grabbed her bow. "This is my home too, I have the right to defend it and my family. And hopefully it won't come to that."

He opened his mouth to continue but stopped, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Sango in her Taijiya armor holding Hiraikotsu approaching. She hadn't worn it since before the twins were born. He saw the resigned look on Miroku's face and decided to keep his mouth shut. Kagome was right, this was their home as well and they had a right to fight for it as well. He'd just have to keep an extra careful watch, they weren't used to fighting humans.

Just the same he moved over to Miroku. "Couldn't keep her away either, huh?"

Miroku shrugged. "I notice that you had as much luck as I in keeping your wife away from this confrontation. Let's face it, we both married strong woman who are willing to fight for what they believe in, even against their husbands."

"Feh." But his gaze softened as he looked at Kagome, standing and speaking with Sango. "Still, you should keep an extra close eye on Sango. Don't know if she realizes it yet, but it's not just her life at stake."

Miroku's eyes widened at the warning. "Thank you my friend, I shall be sure to stick close by. I doubt even telling her that would be enough to keep her away from this battle though."

Inuyasha grunted his agreement and moved back to his wife's side, watching Sango give Miroku a suspicious glance at his close proximity. Kagome also noticed and gave him a questioning look which he ignored. She might have said something but just then Kaede joined them.

"Good, you are all here. I think it is safe to assume that the men approaching are led by the priest, Ungai-sama, that you told us about." Inuyasha snorted but didn't say anything at this statement and the old miko continued, her face grave. "The men are arming themselves to defend our village and our friends," she said with a glance at Inuyasha. "Hopefully this Ungai-sama can be reasoned with and this will end peacefully, but if not then we will stand by your side."

Kagome reached out and squeezed Inuyasha's hand. He was touched at the sentiment behind Kaede's words and could clearly see the same sentiment in the determined faces of the men gathered there. He nodded. "Then let's get ready. Priest or no priest, they're not gonna take our home from us."


	6. Confrontation

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on May 7, 2012 for Oneshot #13 Companions and won 2nd place. It originally came in at 651 words but has since been expanded slightly.

Author's note: Sorry in advance for the cliffhanger. But the next part just seemed to fit another prompt that I was going to participate in so I decided to cut it here. Also, sorry if I butchered Ungai's character here. It has been so long since I saw the episode he was in and though I held off posting this because I wanted to rewatch it in order to adjust it, I just never got a chance to do so.

* * *

Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest, hands tucked into his sleeves and glared at Ungai as the priest came into sight of the waiting villagers. Around him his companions shifted nervously, makeshift weapons held loosely in their hands. He could tell that they didn't want to fight other humans but would if necessary to protect their homes and their friends. He was touched that they would go to that length for him, he had been certain that when push came to shove they would demand that he and his family leave rather than bring trouble down upon them.

Ungai paused a short distance away from the gathered villagers, holding his arm up to halt his followers. He stared in disgust at Inuyasha before turning to the villagers. "Have you come to your senses yet? I can see your weapons, there is no need to fight. Simply turn over the monster to be destroyed." He was shocked by the glares they sent his way at his words. Did the youkai have them in his thrall? Surely they didn't want him to remain among them.

Kagome glared at the priest and placed a calming hand on Inuyasha's arm as Kaede stepped forward. "This is our village. Who are you to demand that we turn over one of our own? He has done no harm to you." She fixed him with a stern gaze, a steely look in her one eye.

Ungai was taken aback by this declaration. "You are a miko. How can you harbor a youkai and claim it as one of your own? He is an abomination, the Kami have ordained that those like him must be destroyed!"

Kagome couldn't hold her tongue any longer. "He is a good man! Not a monster! The only monster I see here is you for wanting to kill him!"

Inuyasha winced. Why did she have to go and draw attention to herself? "Kagome," he murmured quietly as he tried to shift her behind him. But she wouldn't allow him to do so, knocking his hands away and remaining proudly at his side as she glared at those who threatened their peaceful lives.

Ungai's eyes traveled to her at her outburst. He stared. This was the same girl from all those years ago, the one who had been dressed so scandalously. It was not the fact that she was still with the youkai that shocked him, other than the fact that she was still alive. No, it was her clothing that shocked him. Gone was the indecently short skirt. In its place was the clothing of a miko. "What sacrilege is this? How dare you dishonor the honorable position of miko! This is an outrage against the Kami themselves!"

Inuyasha growled, his ears flattening against his head. "Don't talk about her like that!" He finally managed to shift Kagome completely behind him as he clenched his hands into fists, fingers cracking from the force.

Ungai's eyes widened before narrowing in anger and disgust as he saw how close they were standing together, as well as his efforts to shield her with his own body. "Demon's whore!" His gaze swept over the villagers gathered around them. In his mind a youkai should be killed, it shouldn't have any companions. Bad enough that they would stand with the youkai but to accept this! "How can you allow a youkai and its whore in your midst? Especially one that dares insult the Kami by dressing in the clothing of their faithful servants while consorting with abominations!"

Inuyasha snarled, barely holding himself back from attacking the priest. His companions, also angry at the vile words, and sensing his control slipping, nervously tightened their grips on their weapons as they tensed, preparing for a battle that was seeming more and more likely.

Kaede sighed, knowing that words had failed. It seemed that they would have to fight after all, there would be no peaceful, diplomatic solution. Not after seeing just how bigoted and ignorant Ungai appeared to be. He was too set in his ways, and especially in his belief that he was right, to listen to anything they had to say.

But as both sides prepared themselves for a fight that seemed inevitable, a small voice cut through the air, claiming the attention of all gathered there.


	7. Fear and Curiosity

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to Issekiwa on May 10, 2012 for Prompt #149 Peek or Peak and won 3rd place. It originally came in at 249 word. While still very short, this has also been expanded.

* * *

Jomei frowned as he looked around the hut he and the other children had been brought to. He couldn't understand why all of the adults were looking so tense or why his parents hadn't come with them. He wasn't the only one confused, most of the other children were upset and scared.

Several women whispered in worried tones and his ears perked up, trying to catch what they were saying. One woman noticed his attention and gestured at the others to quiet. He sighed, allowing his ears to droop and moved away from them. The scent of fear in the hut was making him nervous. He wrinkled his nose at it before moving closer to Rin who was busy holding and trying to calm a fussing Izayoi. "What's going on?" he asked tugging on her kimono. "Where's Mama and Papa?"

"It's okay Jomei-chan," she said distractedly as Izayoi began to howl, her nose also detecting the fear in the hut and not understanding it any better than he did. Unable to understand, she did the only thing she could.

"Mama! Papa!" she shrieked, causing several of the other children to also begin to cry as the level of fear increased drastically. This only caused the toddler to scream even louder and Rin had no choice but to focus all of her attention on calming the little girl down while the other women saw to the other children.

Jomei winced at her shrieks, his ears flattening against his head as he moved away from the sound. He found himself near the door and his ears twitched at the sound of yelling in the distance. He glanced around the hut and saw nobody was paying him any attention, too caught up in the commotion occurring inside the hut to notice one outside. His curiosity peaked, he decided it wouldn't hurt to take a little peek at what was happening outside and quickly exited the hut.

Once outside he breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be free of the overwhelming scent of fear. He began to move toward the edge of the village where he could here a large number of people, and where he remembered seeing his Papa head to before he was sent off with the women and children. Creeping closer to the voices he had heard he stopped behind one of the last huts before peering around it. His eyes immediately located his parents among the other villagers before his attention drifted to the strangers near them. Anger filled him as the stranger's words reached him and he leaped from his hiding place with a yell.


	8. Shocking Developments

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to The Inuyasha Fanfic Contest on May 15, 2012 for Prompt #285 Phenomenon and won 3rd place. It originally came in at 1257 words. Other than a few edits and an added sentence or two it has remained mostly unchanged.

* * *

_But as both sides prepared themselves for a fight that seemed inevitable, a small voice cut through the air, claiming the attention of all gathered there._

"Don't talk about my Mama that way!"

All eyes turned to stare at the small figure running toward them, his fists clenched. Kagome felt a flash of fear and worry at the sight of her son, so near to men who would wish harm on him. Beside her Inuyasha growled low in annoyance but she could sense his worry and fear as well. She opened her mouth to tell him to go back but another voice cut in first.

"Another one! They're breeding them here!" Ungai yelled in anger as he stared at the child. His eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze back to where Kagome was standing. "He called you mother. You actually defiled yourself with this monster and brought another into the world? You are even worse than I thought!"

Inuyasha snarled, his hands itching to wrap around the priest's throat. Jomei stopped a short distance away, growls escaping his throat as he clenched his fists. "Don't talk about my Mama!"

"Hush Jomei," Kagome said as she placed a calming hand on Inuyasha's arm. The situation was rapidly deteriorating, she needed to calm it somehow, at least until she could safely remove her child from it. "Go back inside," she told her son before turning her attention back to Ungai. "Yes I bore my husband a son. Both my husband and child are hanyou. They are not monsters." Her expression became slightly pleading. "Please, there is no reason for violence. Can't we discuss this peacefully? I'm sure you will understand if you give us a chance to explain."

"Yes, this need not end in violence," Kaede agreed. "We are all servants of the Kami in one way or another, this can be settled peacefully."

But Ungai only glowered at them, his anger turning to fury. "You expect us to settle this 'peacefully'?" Ha! You only want us to fall under the youkai's spell the way you have. The whore has admitted that she has borne his spawn! This village is a breeding ground for these monsters and must be cleansed!"

Twin growls filled the air at these words and Jomei, who had ignored his mother's command, threw himself forward with a yell. "My Mama's not a whore!"

"Jomei, no!" Kagome and Inuyasha began to move to intercept their son.

But Ungai was also moving. "See, even as a child these monsters lust for our blood!" And he flung his ofuda at the charging child.

Inuyasha saw as the priest began to unleash his attack and switched direction, heading for the priest instead. But he was too late, the ofuda were released before he could stop them and then he was forced to dodge the attacks by Ungai's men. Worry filled him for his son, he knew it was likely he would merely turn human were they to land on him as he himself had but it would be extremely painful and he didn't want his children to have to experience that kind of pain. And what if it were a different type of ofuda than the one used on him? After all, those had already been proven ineffective so who knows what Ungai might have done.

Inuyasha continued to dodge the attacks, snatching weapons and breaking or tossing them aside. He nodded his thanks as Miroku and the others joined him in trying to disarm the men. He couldn't suppress a smirk as he spotted Sango swinging Hiraikotsu at the men, a tense Miroku having to constantly duck as he refused to leave his wife's side. But most of his attention was focused to the side as his ears listened for the first sound of his son's cries of pain which thankfully never came.

"I-impossible!" Ungai's voice drew the attention of the combatants and they turned their attention to the phenomenon before them.

Inuyasha sighed in relief as he realized what had happened.

Kagome, upon seeing the ofuda heading toward her son had increased her pace as she continued to race toward him while Inuyasha headed for the man who had attacked her son. From Inuyasha's experience she knew that while painful, the ofuda shouldn't be able to permanently harm her son. But she couldn't risk it, her son wasn't full grown like her husband was, who knew if the effects would be different? She threw herself forward as the ofuda neared their target, instinctively swinging her bow around her body in a warding motion as she covered her son with her own body. She sighed in relief at feeling the barrier form around them and hearing the ofuda sizzle before turning to ash upon impact.

She rose slightly so that she was kneeling beside her son and checked him over for injuries despite knowing that there would be none. "Are you okay?" At his nervous nod she fixed him with a stern look. "Good. But we will be having a serious discussion about obeying your parents later." Jomei gulped nervously. 'At least he realized that what he had done was wrong and dangerous,' she thought. "Stay behind me," she told him as she stood, having heard the priest's exclamation.

Ungai continued to stare at the barrier surrounding the two. "Impossible!" he exclaimed again. This couldn't be! She had defiled herself with that monster, had borne his spawn! There was no way she could have any spiritual power left, if she had ever had any to begin with! Unless... "Dark Miko!" he cried, pointing at her. "That is the only way for you to possess these powers! Everyone knows that a miko must be pure and you have allowed yourself to be defiled by a youkai!"

"Oh shut up, you ignorant fool." The response to his words came not from Kagome or Inuyasha but from Kaede. "I know that you can sense the same as I how strong and **pure** her reiki is. She is no dark miko."

"Lies," Ungai said but it was weak, with little conviction as he registered what his own spiritual senses were telling him. The old miko spoke true. "But how?" How could this be?

"Kagome-sama's power comes from the purity of her heart, not her body," Miroku spoke up.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and continued to disarm the distracted men. 'Hopefully they won't want to fight anymore without their weapons,' he thought as he tossed the now broken and useless weapons into a pile.

"B-but even if her body need not be pure, she still consorts with youkai, and bore his spawn!" Ungai said, pointing a shaky finger at Inuyasha who snorted and made his way to Kagome's side. Ungai's jaw dropped when Inuyasha walked **through** her barrier without any sign of pain. "How?"

"My husband knows that I would not harm him, and my powers respond to my will," Kagome spoke up as she leaned into Inuyasha before releasing the barrier. She remained prepared to raise it again at a moment's notice should it prove necessary. "Look, we've told you that not all youkai are bad. Just like not all humans are good. You have heard of bandits, haven't you?"

Ungai's followers exchanged glances at her words, then finally realized that they were unarmed and surrounded. They gulped before nervously moving closer together.

"But the Kami command that the youkai be destroyed!"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't believe that. Youkai are creations of the Kami, just like we are. Why would the Kami create them only for them to be destroyed?"

Ungai could only stare in shock at her words. Could he have been so wrong, so misguided? Was his faith in the Kami and his duty to them wrong?

"Come, let us sit and discuss this rationally and peacefully," Kaede said as she sensed that Ungai might finally be ready to listen to reason.


	9. Comprehensions and Apologies

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to IB4Y on June 4, 2012 for P-Prompt #18: "The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it." It won 1st place. It originally came in at 1618 words and other than a few minor edits it has remained mostly unchanged.

* * *

Ungai numbly sat where the old miko directed him, the previous events still playing heavily on his mind. Doubts filled him as he watched the youkai, no, the hanyou, interact with his family. Both parents fussed over the child, just as any other normal parent would after their child encountered a potentially dangerous situation. But how could any of this be normal when it went against everything he had been taught to believe in, everything **he** had taught others to believe?

As he sat there staring at them, his attention was caught by the small argument that appeared to be taking place. The adult hanyou had knelt down next to his son and was gesturing back toward one of the buildings.

"Go on Jomei. Go back to Rin and the others. This isn't a matter for you."

The little boy shook his head stubbornly. "No!" He clung to his mother's hakama.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha before running a hand over her son's head in a soothing manner. "Listen to your father Jomei. This is no place for you. The immediate danger has passed but now it's time for us to talk, and this is an adults only matter." The boy shook his head again.

Inuyasha glanced at her before looking at their audience. "Maybe you should bring him there." '_And stay there yourself._'

She gave him a brief warning look, having guessed his thoughts. "You're not getting rid of me that easily," she told him before turning her attention back to the child. "I'm sure Rin must be worried about you after you disappeared on her like that."

Jomei pulled back slightly from his mother, a guilty look on his face.

Ungai watched and listened to this interaction with fascination. How could they act like a **normal**, **human** family, when they weren't?

But before anything more could be said, another head poked around the building Inuyasha had been gesturing toward. Seeing no immediate danger as she looked around with an anxious look on her face, the young woman stepped forward and began walking toward the gathered group. Her face relaxed as she spotted the younger hanyou standing with his parents and she made a beeline toward them. Ungai continued to watch, though something about the woman tugged at his memory.

"There you are Jomei! Inuyasha, Kagome, Rin is so sorry. He just disappeared while Rin was trying to calm Izayoi and the others."

"It's alright Rin," Kagome told the young woman. "It wasn't your fault." She gave her son a look. "I believe Jomei has something to say to you."

Ungai watched as the boy scuffed his foot in the ground before guiltily looking at the young woman. "I'm sorry I made you worry Rin."

She gave him a smile and again Ungai was struck by the familiarity. "Rin is just glad that you are alright." She reached for his hand, uncaring of the claws there. "Come, let us head back so that your parents and the others can finish their business." She paused, frowning as her gaze landed on Ungai.

Suddenly it all became clear to Ungai. This young woman, she was the same little girl who had insisted on remaining by that terrible youkai's side all those years ago. How was she still alive? He had been sure she would never survive long if she remained with him. How had she found her way here? Had she finally abandoned her misplaced trust and loyalty to that creature? Or was he also here somewhere? Ungai gulped nervously and tried to sense if any other youkai were around, to no avail.

Still, his mind was bombarded by thoughts. It was impossible for her to be the same girl, and yet, she clearly was. The previous events of the evening flashed through his mind. It was impossible for a youkai, or hanyou in this case, to be openly welcomed in a human village, and yet this one was. It was impossible for him to have a family, and yet he did. It was impossible for a miko to love someone with youkai blood, and yet she did. It was impossible that she had kept her powers after she loved, married and bore him a child, and yet she did.

He was reminded of a saying his old master had told him many years before. _The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it._ So many impossible things and yet, the proof was in front of his eyes. Perhaps he had been wrong in his beliefs.

Ungai turned to the old miko, Kaede he believed she was called. "Please forgive me for intruding on your village this way. I truly believed that I was doing the Kami's will. I am still not sure that I have been wrong in my beliefs but I am willing to listen and learn."

Kaede regarded the old priest with a look of appraisal. "It is a wise person who is willing to admit his errors and learn from them. How can I help you in this?"

Ungai glanced over as the hanyou and his miko wife joined the group, having sent their son back with the young woman Rin. "Tell me how this came to be? How this village is so accepting of one of youkai blood and his family? How a houshi and a miko can accept him and call him friend openly? How a miko could love him?"

Kagome bristled at the last question but remained quiet at Kaede's look. The old miko drew a deep breath before releasing it. "I will answer your questions to the best of my ability. It all began more than fifty years ago..."

Ungai and his followers listened intently, interrupting rarely with questions. As Kaede grew tired and hoarse her tale was taken up by others, the houshi Miroku, his wife the Taijiya Sango, the miko Kagome, and finally the hanyou, Inuyasha, himself.

At the end of their tale Ungai nodded thoughtfully, finally comprehending just how wrong he had been. "So it appears that you had been chosen by the Kami themselves to rid the world of a dangerous evil. And now you have earned your reward," he gestured to the village. "A peaceful home. I am sorry that we intruded on that peace."

"Ungai-sama! You can't be serious! Tell me you haven't fallen under his spell!" One of his younger followers spoke up, glaring at Inuyasha.

"Silence!" Ungai ordered him, towering over the fool. "As Kaede-sama said, a wise man is willing to listen and reflect on his choices and beliefs, admitting when he has been wrong. And I was wrong here. I thought I knew and followed the will of the Kami, but it is not possible for a mere mortal to understand their plans. The Kami obviously have a plan for this village and we will not interfere in it." His tone was final.

"But Ungai-sama, how can you believe this story so easily?"

Ungai drew himself to his full height as he stared down his followers. "I have encountered this group before. I thought they were foolish to trust youkai and allow them into their midst, and believed they would turn on them. The fact that they are still alive and thriving shows that I was wrong. I had also heard of this Naraku they spoke of, and know that he was a dangerous foe. I believe their tale." He sighed. "And I admit that I was wrong in trying to kill them."

He turned to face Inuyasha, who stood with his arms folded across his chest and tucked into his voluminous sleeves, his wife at his side. "I truly am sorry for any pain I may have caused. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways."

He turned back to his followers. "I find that I am in need of a journey of reflection and discovery. I must reflect on what I have learned here and what my place in the Kami's plan might be. I understand if you choose not to follow me any longer after these revelations."

He was interrupted by their cries. "No Ungai-sama! Don't abandon us! We will follow you!"

He gave them a small smile. "Thank you my friends. We shall discover our destiny together." Ungai turned back to Kaede and the others. "And again, I thank you for showing me the error of my ways." He bowed, then led his followers away from the village.

Inuyasha scowled as he watched them leave. A gentle hand on his arm drew his attention to his wife. Her face held a worried frown. "Kagome?"

"Do you think we did the right thing? Letting them go?"

He shrugged. "What else could we do?"

Kagome bit her lip. "I just wonder how long his change of heart will last. Is this truly over or will they decide that we tricked them somehow and come back again, stronger in numbers?"

Inuyasha pulled her to rest firmly against his side as she voiced aloud his own worries. "I know," he told her. "But we can't do anything until that day comes, if it comes." He dropped a brief kiss on to the top of her head. "Now come on, I have a son that needs a stern talking to." He led her back to their children, worries set aside for another day. If ever their path crossed Ungai again, they would have their answer then.


	10. Epilogue: 5 Years Later

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on June 4, 2012 for oneshot #15 Future. It won 2nd place. It originally came in at 1498 words and other than a few minor edits it has remained mostly unchanged.

* * *

"Great job Jomei," Inuyasha clapped his oldest child on the back as they headed back to camp with their catches. Jomei grinned proudly at his father as he hefted the large boar higher.

"Thanks Papa."

"Come on, let's get these back to your mother and sister so we can eat before turning in. Got another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

They returned to an amused Kagome and a scowling Izayoi. "Why did I have to wait here Papa?" she pouted at him. "I can hunt too."

Jomei raised his eyebrows at her. "But Izayoi, I thought you didn't want to get blood all over your clothes like last time?" he said innocently before tossing his catch at her. "Here, I already cleaned it for you, all you have to do is cook it."

Izayoi scowled at him. "Cook it yourself!" she snapped and tossed it back at him.

He caught it and laughed. "I caught it, remember, so it's your turn to cook it. Just like Mama's been teaching you."

Kagome interrupted before things could continue. "That's enough you two. Come on Izayoi, I'll help you."

Izayoi shot one more glare at her older brother before following her mother. "Still don't see why I have to do this," she grumbled. "He should have stayed to cook while I went hunting. Bet I would have caught something even bigger."

Kagome shook her head exasperatedly. "Hush now Izayoi, this is big enough for all of us. I bet we'll barely finish it as it is. Besides, this is something you need to learn. How else will you take care of your husband and family one day?"

Izayoi flushed. "Mama! I'm too young to worry about any of that now."

Kagome exchanged an amused look with her husband behind her daughter's back. "Oh, you never know. Besides, what will happen if you find yourself on the road like your father and I did years ago?"

"Feh! I'll catch the food and whoever else is there will cook it!"

"Cut it out Izayoi," Jomei teased his sister. "This is women's work and you know it. Catching the food is the job of men and cooking it is the job of women."

Izayoi turned and growled at him. "I'm just as good as you are, maybe even better!"

Inuyasha chuckled from his seat beneath a tree as he listened to his children argue. Some things would never change. He jerked upright, hand going to Tessaiga's hilt as his hearing picked up approaching footsteps. He nodded in approval as his children quieted and tensed, Kagome reaching for her bow and arrows at their actions. His eyes narrowed at how the sound of so many approaching and he moved to better see the road.

But while he could now see the men approaching, they could also see him and they halted. His ears pricked forward, picking up their murmurs about his appearance. The murmurs increased in intensity as they spotted his children, and he shot them an irritated look as they stepped forward out of the cover of the trees. Why could his family never stay put and let him protect them? His attention was drawn again to the group before them as one figure made his way to the front of the crowd. His eyes widened.

"So we meet again," Ungai's voice was calm as he regarded the family before him and his followers. "I trust that you and your family have been well?"

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked, remembering his previous run-ins with this priest.

Kagome joined her husband, placing a calming hand on his arm. "There's no reason to be rude, Inuyasha," she lightly scolded him. "Ungai-sama." She gave him a nod of greeting.

He chuckled lightly. "Oh, there is no need to scold your husband. He is right to be suspicious after our last meetings." Ungai locked eyes with the older hanyou. "I mean you and your family no harm. We are merely passing through the area."

Inuyasha scowled at the priest. "Oh really," he scoffed. "And what, or who, are you hunting this time?"

"Those days are behind me, and have been since our last encounter. After our last meeting, I went on a journey of reflection and discovery, meeting many interesting people. And not all were human. I learned a great deal on that journey, including that being human does not automatically make one good and being non-human does not automatically make one evil. I learned the lesson of how unwavering faith in one's own beliefs and choices could be dangerous, that I need to constantly reflect on my actions. And I owe this lesson to you."

Inuyasha slowly removed his hand from Tessaiga as the old priest spoke. None of the newcomers made any gesture of violence and he sensed only curiosity from them, no sign of malice or ill-intent. "Feh." He crossed his arms over his chest.

Kagome smiled at the priest as her children moved closer. Jomei frowned. "I remember you, you wanted to hurt my family! You called my mother bad names." He growled.

Inuyasha shot his son a look and pushed himself in front of his family in case any of the men decided to take action against what could be considered an aggressive move. But though several shifted uneasily, none made any move to attack.

"Yes, and I apologize once more for that. I was mistaken in my beliefs."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you have learned from your mistakes Ungai-sama. Does this mean that you no longer hunt youkai?" Kagome asked, curious about how far this change had gone.

"Well, we no longer go looking for them. We instead travel across the countryside, preaching peace and understanding. However, when we come across a bad situation we do try to help out. If it is a youkai attacking the humans, we try to see if the problem can be settled peacefully, though regretfully, that does not happen often and we usually have to purify them." He paused as the three hanyou growled. "It is not unlike the exterminations you perform that I have heard tell of. As I said, we only act when we can not negotiate."

Inuyasha glared at him. "And what if the problem isn't the youkai?"

"Inuyasha!"

"No, he is right." Ungai nodded at him. "We have encountered situations where the youkai were merely trying to survive and it was the ignorant and scared villagers who were at fault. In those situations we try to negotiate a peace between the two parties, and should that fail, we help the youkai find a new place to settle."

"I am very happy to hear that," Kagome told him, keeping a hand on Inuyasha's arm in warning. "We were just about to eat, would you like to join us?" She ignored Inuyasha's look as she continued to watch Ungai's face.

"Thank you, but no. We are expected in a village just down the road." Ungai bowed his head to them. "Enjoy your meal and may you remain safe on your own journey." With that he turned and walked away with his followers.

Inuyasha watched them leave. Once the last of them had passed out of sight he turned to his wife. "Why did you invite them to eat? The boar's big but not that big."

"It was the polite thing to do. Besides, I had a feeling he would turn us down. Still, it's nice to see that he really has changed." She clapped her hands once and turned to her family. "Now let's go eat, we've still got a long way to go tomorrow to get to Totosai-ojiisan."

Her children perked up at that. "Yeah, I can't wait to see what my sword looks like," Jomei spoke up excitedly.

"Me too," Izayoi piped up.

"Feh, you're a girl. Girls don't use swords. Betcha he turned your fang into something really girly."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Knock it off!" Inuyasha growled warningly at the two, not wanting to listen to another such argument after the recent meeting.

Kagome merely smiled in bemusement as she resumed cooking the food. They had had their doubts about Ungai all of those years ago. She was glad to see that they had been wrong, though she never would have pictured the meeting they just had. But then, who could predict what the future would bring?

As her children started arguing once more, she smiled again. She might not be able to predict the future of most things, but when it came to her family she could predict that things would never be boring. That was one thing she had absolute faith in.


End file.
